Weasley Charm | Fred Weasley

Chapter 7-14: The Nightmare

Delaney awoke in a haze of confusion. Her head was pounding, she was completely disoriented. She sat up to find herself sitting on the floor of the top story in Hogwarts. She looked around her to see fighting still going on, except the Death Eater she had been fighting was nowhere to be found. Then, it hit her like a freight train. Fred.

Delaney rose to her feet, fighting hard against her pounding headache. The questions spinning around in her head made her dizzy as she began running toward the Room of Requirement. How long was she out? What was she hit with? Was she too late?

Her feet felt like they were sinking deeper and deeper into quicksand with each step she took. She felt like she couldn't make it fast enough. She couldn't let him go. She had to save him. Otherwise, she couldn't see herself having a future at all. He was her future.

Delaney turned down the last corridor, Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood at the end, destroying Ravenclaw's diadem with the basilisk fang. She felt a small pinch of relief knowing that they were still making progress in her absence.

Draco Malfoy and Goyle passed her in the corridor as she ran towards Harry, Ron, and Hermione, they looked utterly terrified.

"Delaney!" Hermione shouted, sprinting up to Delaney with open arms. "Where have you been? You said you would meet us!"

"I had to save Remus!" Delaney said between pants. "Please tell me you three haven't seen Fred."

"Fred? Why would we see-" Hermione's face softened, she knew why Delaney was asking if they had seen him. "We haven't seen him."

"That means I still have time," Delaney muttered to herself. She quickened her pace to the end of the corridor where Harry and Ron's attention was suddenly brought to something on the side of the other corridor.

Delaney felt her stomach drop when she heard Percy's voice sound just around the corner.

"Good evening Minister. Have I mentioned that I am resigning?" Percy asked, throwing hexes at the new Minister of Magic. Delaney's heart dropped to her feet when she saw Fred at Percy's side. It was unfolding just like her vision.

"No,""Delaney said to herself, quickening her pace to meet Fred and Percy. But something stopped her, a pair of arms held her back. "Ron, let go of me!"

"Delaney you can't go in there. You'll distract him. Just let them do it!""Ron tightened his grip on her.

"Ron, if you don't let me go he will die!" Delaney shouted despair was clear in her voice. Ron's grip stayed tight on her arms.

"Percy, you're joking! I mean you're actually-" Fred's sentence dropped off without ever being completed. A green blast ricocheted from the wall, hitting his chest in a mere second. He fell to the ground in what felt like slow motion.

"No!" Delaney screamed, withering from Ron's arms. She felt like her heart shattered into a million pieces while approaching his side.

"Fred, no please no! Fred!" she wailed, bracing herself over his chest while her hands cupped his cheeks. He had a hint of a smile still etched on his mouth, yet his eyes gazed at the ceiling without seeing what was above him. "Fred, no. I can't do this without you."

"Delaney," Harry tried grabbing her arm.

"No!" she shouted, ripping her arm from his grasp. Tears streamed down her cheeks freely. She could feel everything in her crumbling without warning. Her eyes soon fell on Ron, he was as pale as a ghost. "This is your fault! I could have saved him! And you held me back! I will never forgive you!"

"Harry, she's not ready to go with us. I think we need to keep her with Percy," Hermione turned to Harry. Delaney had already returned to crying over Fred's chest. She could feel his body losing heat beneath her. It only made her realize that she had already experienced her last with him and she hadn't even realized it. She had already had her last kiss, her last hug, her last smile. This made her heart shatter all over again.